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Radio Replies #2
Radio Replies: Second Volume
3 vols. 4,374 questions and answers on every conceivable aspect of the Catholic Faith by these intrepid preachers. Clear, succinct, uncompromising, powerful. Best refutation of Protestantism in print. Indexed. Very famous.
358 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1940
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35 people want to read
About the author
Leslie Rumble
56 books2 followersRev. Dr. Leslie Rumble, M.S.C. was brought up by Anglican parents and was a Protestant in his early years. After some thirty years, he became a Catholic, and eventually became a priest of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.
In 1928, Fr. Rumble began a one-hour "Question Box" program on 2SM Sydney, N.S.W. radio on Sunday evenings. He hosted the program for five years, answering questions that had been written to him from around the glove.
He collaborated with Fr. Charles Mortimer Carty on a series of books, Radio Replies. The first edition was issued in Australia in the summer of 1937, financed by Msgr. James Meany, P.P., the director of 2SM.
In 1928, Fr. Rumble began a one-hour "Question Box" program on 2SM Sydney, N.S.W. radio on Sunday evenings. He hosted the program for five years, answering questions that had been written to him from around the glove.
He collaborated with Fr. Charles Mortimer Carty on a series of books, Radio Replies. The first edition was issued in Australia in the summer of 1937, financed by Msgr. James Meany, P.P., the director of 2SM.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 19, 2021
Like the other two volumes in the Radio Replies set, this book is an excellent source for Catholic apologetics, uncorrupted by Vatican II. However, topics are also scattered across all three volumes (such as questions dealing with the various types of Protestantism).
September 13, 2024
VOLUME TWO OF A THREE-VOLUME SET OF RESPONSES TO CALLER QUESTIONS
Fr. Leslie Rumble broadcast over the radio from Australia, and Fr. Carty from Minnesota; the books in this 3-volume series were questions that they were asked on the air. The other volumes in the series are 'Radio Replies: Volume One,' and 'Radio Replies Vol. 3'.
Fr. Rumble states in his Foreword to this 1940 book, "since God is the Author of all truth, nothing that is definitely true can ever really contradict anything else that is definitely true. Secondly, the Catholic Church is definitely true. It therefore follows that no objection or difficulty, whether drawn from history, Scripture, science, or philosophy, can provide a valid argument against the truth of the Catholic religion." (Pg. 11)
About books such as the "Book of Jashar," the "Acts of Solomon," etc., they reply, "If certain inspired books were missing [from the biblical canon], that would not be proof that such books as have remained are not inspired and trustworthy. But secondly, the books you mention were most probably not inspired books at all. The sacred authors could be inspired to quote non-inspired books known to the people of their time, in support of the facts they narrated. If the quoted book has perished... that does not give us the right to reject the authority of the Old Testament books handed on to us. In fact, we find force in the confidence of a writer who did not hesitate to refer the readers of his own time to outside sources which were then available." (Pg. 36)
Of Martin Luther, they state, "Luther we cannot respect. He had no right to leave the Catholic Church, and commence a church of his own under the pretense of reform. He should have remained in the true Church and labored to reform lax Catholics within it... As a matter of fact, in 1521, the worldly-minded Pope Leo X died, and was succeeded by the German Pope Adrian VI, Adrian was just such a Pope as Luther pretended to demand... The brave old Pope would have been vastly aided by German support... Instead of rushing to the aid of a compatriot who was just such a head of the Church as he had declared necessary, he continued to pour abuse against the Pope as if he were the devil. Blind passion, not reason, was Luther's guide." (Pg. 69)
Of the interpretation of the Bible, they argue, "Since no non-Catholic Churches claim to be infallible, but admit their constant liability to error, they cannot even claim equal value for their interpretations. Moreover, apart from their divergence from the Catholic interpretation, they differ amongst themselves. That would not be, had they all equally arrived at the correct sense of the Bible. As a matter of fact, all practically nullify the claims of each as a reliable guide to the meaning of Scripture." (Pg. 122)
They assert, "The heathens who do come to the age of personal responsibility can attain to the supernatural order of grace and inherit that very heaven for which baptism is normally required on certain conditions. For example, a pagan may never have heard of the Gospel, or having heard of it, may have quite failed to grasp it significance. He remains a heathen, knowing no better, and dies without receiving the actual Sacrament of Baptism. In such a case God will not blame him for that which is is really not responsible. At the same time, God... will certainly give that heathen sufficient grace for his salvation according to the condition in which he is... We Catholics say that such a heathen has been saved by Baptism of Desire..." (Pg. 174-175)
However, a still-born child will NOT go to heaven, "unless the doctor or nurse was able to baptize the child before the actual separation of soul and body." (Pg. 175) Of Limbo, they state, "such souls exist; that they are immortal; that, according to the Gospels they can't be in heaven; and that, according to God's justice they can't be in hell. Where will you declare them to be? In heaven? If so, have they attained heaven without the grace of Christ?... If you dispute our reasons for believing them to be in Limbo, you have much less reason for believing them to be anywhere else." (Pg. 176)
Of Galileo, they state, "Even the banning of Galileo's books was not a mistake. The ecclesiastical authorities were wrong in declaring Galileo's theory of the movement of the earth round the sun to be erroneous. But it must be remembered that, though correct, Galileo's theory was at the time no more than a hypothesis. Galileo could not prove it; and not one of the arguments he advanced for it is accepted to-day as scientifically demonstrative." (Pg. 225)
More controversially, they state, "Fascism does not aim at the destruction of the worker. Mussolini's Fascism sanctions and supports religion, and aims at the well-being of every individual in the State... Hitler's imitation of Fascism in Germany is no true indication of what real Fascism is. He has not understood the aims and principles of true Fascism." (Pg. 287)
Although the modern Catholic Church would probably change some of these answers (e.g., about Italian Fascism), this book remains a marvelous and concise compendium of information about Catholic doctrines, that will be of great interest to anyone studying Catholic apologetics and dogma.
Fr. Leslie Rumble broadcast over the radio from Australia, and Fr. Carty from Minnesota; the books in this 3-volume series were questions that they were asked on the air. The other volumes in the series are 'Radio Replies: Volume One,' and 'Radio Replies Vol. 3'.
Fr. Rumble states in his Foreword to this 1940 book, "since God is the Author of all truth, nothing that is definitely true can ever really contradict anything else that is definitely true. Secondly, the Catholic Church is definitely true. It therefore follows that no objection or difficulty, whether drawn from history, Scripture, science, or philosophy, can provide a valid argument against the truth of the Catholic religion." (Pg. 11)
About books such as the "Book of Jashar," the "Acts of Solomon," etc., they reply, "If certain inspired books were missing [from the biblical canon], that would not be proof that such books as have remained are not inspired and trustworthy. But secondly, the books you mention were most probably not inspired books at all. The sacred authors could be inspired to quote non-inspired books known to the people of their time, in support of the facts they narrated. If the quoted book has perished... that does not give us the right to reject the authority of the Old Testament books handed on to us. In fact, we find force in the confidence of a writer who did not hesitate to refer the readers of his own time to outside sources which were then available." (Pg. 36)
Of Martin Luther, they state, "Luther we cannot respect. He had no right to leave the Catholic Church, and commence a church of his own under the pretense of reform. He should have remained in the true Church and labored to reform lax Catholics within it... As a matter of fact, in 1521, the worldly-minded Pope Leo X died, and was succeeded by the German Pope Adrian VI, Adrian was just such a Pope as Luther pretended to demand... The brave old Pope would have been vastly aided by German support... Instead of rushing to the aid of a compatriot who was just such a head of the Church as he had declared necessary, he continued to pour abuse against the Pope as if he were the devil. Blind passion, not reason, was Luther's guide." (Pg. 69)
Of the interpretation of the Bible, they argue, "Since no non-Catholic Churches claim to be infallible, but admit their constant liability to error, they cannot even claim equal value for their interpretations. Moreover, apart from their divergence from the Catholic interpretation, they differ amongst themselves. That would not be, had they all equally arrived at the correct sense of the Bible. As a matter of fact, all practically nullify the claims of each as a reliable guide to the meaning of Scripture." (Pg. 122)
They assert, "The heathens who do come to the age of personal responsibility can attain to the supernatural order of grace and inherit that very heaven for which baptism is normally required on certain conditions. For example, a pagan may never have heard of the Gospel, or having heard of it, may have quite failed to grasp it significance. He remains a heathen, knowing no better, and dies without receiving the actual Sacrament of Baptism. In such a case God will not blame him for that which is is really not responsible. At the same time, God... will certainly give that heathen sufficient grace for his salvation according to the condition in which he is... We Catholics say that such a heathen has been saved by Baptism of Desire..." (Pg. 174-175)
However, a still-born child will NOT go to heaven, "unless the doctor or nurse was able to baptize the child before the actual separation of soul and body." (Pg. 175) Of Limbo, they state, "such souls exist; that they are immortal; that, according to the Gospels they can't be in heaven; and that, according to God's justice they can't be in hell. Where will you declare them to be? In heaven? If so, have they attained heaven without the grace of Christ?... If you dispute our reasons for believing them to be in Limbo, you have much less reason for believing them to be anywhere else." (Pg. 176)
Of Galileo, they state, "Even the banning of Galileo's books was not a mistake. The ecclesiastical authorities were wrong in declaring Galileo's theory of the movement of the earth round the sun to be erroneous. But it must be remembered that, though correct, Galileo's theory was at the time no more than a hypothesis. Galileo could not prove it; and not one of the arguments he advanced for it is accepted to-day as scientifically demonstrative." (Pg. 225)
More controversially, they state, "Fascism does not aim at the destruction of the worker. Mussolini's Fascism sanctions and supports religion, and aims at the well-being of every individual in the State... Hitler's imitation of Fascism in Germany is no true indication of what real Fascism is. He has not understood the aims and principles of true Fascism." (Pg. 287)
Although the modern Catholic Church would probably change some of these answers (e.g., about Italian Fascism), this book remains a marvelous and concise compendium of information about Catholic doctrines, that will be of great interest to anyone studying Catholic apologetics and dogma.
March 25, 2025
This answers in this book did not go deep enough in some cases, and some of the answers sounded like intellectual double-talk, especially when questioned with the more difficult questions. But I hold this on my bookshelf as reference for some of the answers that he presents. At some point, will dissect every part of this book, hopefully with my own answers explained better.
December 5, 2019
70/100 (= 3.0/6) ≈ 3 Stars
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Great at times. Tedious at others. It's maybe not meant to be read cover to cover, rather as a reference book.. But good practice to develop Apologetics skills. In some topics, so very well answered (e.g. regarding Protestantism?); other topics less so (e.g. social doctrine of the Church, perhaps?). Useful reference anyway.
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Great at times. Tedious at others. It's maybe not meant to be read cover to cover, rather as a reference book.. But good practice to develop Apologetics skills. In some topics, so very well answered (e.g. regarding Protestantism?); other topics less so (e.g. social doctrine of the Church, perhaps?). Useful reference anyway.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews